Wichita eagle., 1887-01-30
OIL, COAL OR GAS.
The Indications Of a Big Find for
Wichita.

luS 1NCl1CtClOuS vi a zig &1o AZ
Wichita.
The following letter from q. +. KNAPP
calls for no explanation either as to subjec
matter or as to the parties addressed
FORT SCOTT, Kan, Jan. %, 1886.
To J. Edwin Davis, Secretary. and Gentlemen Of IL
Wichita Mining Investment Company
After making a careful examination o
the specimens of oil rock found at a dept
of $50 feet, east of your city, and maxim:
very strong test of the oil contained
therein, am fully satisfied that you mus
have either oil, coal or natural gas in your i'm
mediate vicinity, and your wonderful city
will soon have the privilege of thanking
you for giving them one of the creates
mediums, oil, coal or gas, known at The
present time for making Wichita SECOND
TO no western city great commercial ano
manufacturing center.
I placed the specimen Of oil rock on ly
crate, filled with broken fire brick brought
to perfect red heat, with natural gas
mixed with one part of gas to twenty OF
air, giving clear, clean blue blaze, nc
dust or smoke, and very great heat. The
oil soon developed itself by flowing freely
from the sand and giving fine orange
colored blaze for over three-quarters of an
hour On removing it from the fire
found it changed to white tint and re-
tanning its original shape. Other tests
gave equally as favorable results. This
rock has been exposed to the hot sun and
weather for over five years. When taken
from jts original bed Of 80 feet in thick
hess, it must have contained large
amount of crude petroleum and asphaltum,
making it fine lubricating oil as it comes
from the sand.
At depth of $50 feet find another sand,
more porous and producing large quanti-
ties of very strong salt water. This also is
very favorable to your project, as salt Wa
ter is always found in close proximity to
natural gas, and il is claimed by eminent
scientists that natural gas is product of
salt water, oil and other ingredients found
below the earth'S surface. 1t is also claimed
that coal is product of oil by the process
of corporation.
also find perfect shells embedded in the
first sand with an abundance of gypsum or
feldsdar, which indicates that at some time
your section has been changed by great
pressure of natural gas or volcanic distur-
Dances, and by penetrating one Of these
subterranean cayerns of sand rocks an in
exhaustible supply of some of these valu-
able deposits will be found NV imaging
is too limited TO picture the boom these dis
coveries would give to your already mar
velous city. 1t would give you Broad
way of New York or a State street of Chi
cage. You would have to put up the bars
to keep out railroads, and quarantine
against eastern capital.
am continuing the investigation of your
section, as find very favorable surface in
dications, similar to the great oil and gas
fields of Ohio, Illinois and eastern Kansas
also expect pointers from the L. S. gov
eminent geological survey of your county,
which will be duly transmitted to you, and
now, gentlemen. how are these
great discoveries to be made? Is
it by few Of you banding
yourselves together placing your hands in
your pockets, giving your time and trouble
attending to great enterprise of this kind
which is to benefit all alike in your city,
or is it for your pluckey citizens, bankers,
real estate dealers, and all to
help bear the burden by contributing their
mite by taking some of your stock and so
pushing it to success From my brief
visit to to your enterprising city am fully
of the opinion You will have but little
trouble in finding these gentlemen ready to
join you, and victory will perch on your
brows. In closing let me add-keep your
beacon in full blaze, light that has
guided you to prosperity. Let the EAGLE
continue TO scream. that glorious old bird
that has lowered over and showered mil
lions in the lap Of your marvellous city. l
am gentlemen, very respectfully yours.
G. p. KNAPP